Join the Call for the Release of Palestinian Poet Dareen Tatour

05 Sep 2016

Join over 300 renowned writer, poets, translators, editors, artists, public intellectuals and cultural workers in calling for the release of Palestinian poet Dareen Tatour by adding your name to the Jewish Voice for Peace petition.

Tatour was arrested by the Israeli government in October 2015 and spent more than three months in prisons in harsh conditions before being placed under house arrest in January this year. She has been charged with incitement for writing a poem – “Qawim ya sha’abi, qawimhum” (“Resist, My People, Resist Them”) – and two Facebook posts.

“We believe in the rights of artists and writers to openly express their artistic vision and share work freely. The Israeli government’s actions reveal a desire to silence Tatour, part of a larger pattern of Israeli repression against all Palestinians.”Read the full statement and sign the petition here

Tatour’s next hearing will be on Tuesday 6 September, however the prosecution team has asked the judge not to allow the defense team to submit its own translation from Arabic to Hebrew of Tatour’s poem. It was mistranslated by an Israeli policeman and it is expected that Tatour will testify to explain that the poem “is in fact a legitimate protest against crimes committed by Israeli settlers and soldiers occupying Palestinian land.” Read more about the upcoming trial at Jewish Voice for Peace.

In November last year Tatour wrote a poem titled “A Poet Behind Bars”, a translation of which can be read on Arabic Literature. Watch an interview with Tatour in which she discusses the poem that led to her arrest on AJ+.

How you can help: Add your name to the petition and share Tatour’s story amongst your circles and on social media using #DareenTatour.

About Us

PEN South Africa, founded in 1927, is one of more than 140 Centres of PEN International, which currently operate in over 100 countries. A worldwide, politically non-aligned organisation of writers, PEN International is dedicated to promoting freedom of expression, and encouraging the growth and strengthening of literature. Its foundational text is the PEN Charter, which all Centres and members of PEN must uphold.